Boeing and the Virgin Australia Group announced the airline is adding the largest and most efficient member of the Boeing 737 MAX family to its growing single-aisle fleet.

The carrier has converted ten orders for the Boeing 737 MAX 8 for the larger MAX 10 variant.

The airline, which has a number of Boeing 737 MAX 8s on order, said it saw the value of adding the MAX 10 to the mix as the aircraft will provide additional capacity and flexibility.

Virgin Australia Group Chief Financial Officer Geoff Smith said, “We are pleased to be welcoming the 737 MAX 10 aircraft into our expanding fleet in 2022. The addition of the 737 MAX 10 will provide us with additional flexibility and capability to support our network and operations. We are proud to become Australia’s first operator of the 737 MAX and we look forward to the opportunities that operating this type of aircraft will open up to us.”

With its headquarters in Brisbane, Australia, the Virgin Australia Group is the country’s second-largest airline with a fleet of more than 130 aircraft. The Next-Generation 737 has formed the backbone of the Group’s fleet with more than 80 currently in operation and the 737 MAX is expected to bolster the Group’s fleet.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with the Virgin Australia Group as they look to introduce the 737 MAX 10 in to their world-class fleet,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, The Boeing Company. “The MAX 10 will provide the airline with added capabilities, especially with the extended range and efficiency, to better support their fleet and network.”

The MAX 10 is the largest member of the 737 MAX aircraft family. The airplane will offer operators the lowest cost per seat mile of any commercial aircraft and fly 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) farther than today’s Next-Generation 737s. This extended range means that the 737 MAX 10 will be able to cover 99 percent of single-aisle routes around the world.

Virgin Australia joins more than 20 customers who have placed over 500 orders and commitments for the MAX 10. In all, the 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane family in Boeing history, having attracted more than 100 customers and nearly 4,700 orders.

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